Grgich Hills 2003 Napa Valley Fumé Blanc

Ooooh, I love this wine. Not surprising, given the great reputation of Grgich Hills.

The primary varietal of a Fumé Blanc, as I just learned from Wikipedia, is Sauvignon Blanc, which makes sense to me, given the yummy pear and grapefruit notes on the palate. A soft, toasty warmth on the nose, however, leads me to suspect that Grgich aged this wine in oak, which the winery’s tasting notes confirm – 5 months in French Oak, to be exact.

But this wine doesn’t have the smarmy, domineering butteriness of over-oaked Chardonnays – instead there is just enough to give a nice depth to the wine without sacrificing crispness. To me, overall, the impression is of a lively, complex Pinot Grigio (adjectives that are hard to come by in actual Pinot Grigios, in my limited experience. Actual wine connoisseurs/euses, please feel free to broaden my horizons.).

In sum: add Grgich to the list of Napa Valley wineries C. and I need to revisit on our next trip up there.

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Tags: Grgich+Hills, Napa+Valley, Fumé+Blanc